$10 Notes Summary

$10 Federal Reserve Notes

The numbers in the table are the first and last serials printed for regular notes
on the given FRB in the given series. Except as noted, no gaps occur in the
numbering. For information on star note serial number ranges, see the second table below.

Maximum serial numbers have varied over time: Until late in Series 1974, each block
ran from 00000001 to 99999999. From late in Series 1974 until the middle of Series
1981, each block stopped at 99840000. From the middle of Series 1981 until late in
Series 1985, each block stopped at 99200000. And from late in Series 1985 onward,
each block stops at 96000000. These facts should be kept in mind when interpreting
ranges in the table which span more than one block letter.

Prior to Series 1950, when notes of different series were in production
simultaneously, they would often be mixed together before the serial numbers were
overprinted. Therefore, it is not always possible to separate the serial numbers used
on one series from those used on the next.

Note that for district J there is a gap between the high serial number of Series
1950 and the low serial number of Series 1950A. This is due to the fact that the
BEP's changeover from 12-note sheets to 18-note sheets fell between these two
series.

The following full blocks of Series 1974 had serial numbers only up to
99840000, rather than 99999999: F..B, G..D.

The following full block of Series 1981 had serial numbers only up to 99200000,
rather than 99840000: B..D.

The following full block of Series 1985 had serial numbers only up to 96000000,
rather than 99200000: B..J.

The numbers in the table are the first and last serials printed for the given FRB
in the given series. The 1928 and 1934 series star notes, just as the regular notes,
cannot be broken down by individual lettered series; however, whenever no regular
notes were printed for a given FRB and series combination, no star notes were printed
for that combination either. Beginning with Series 1950A, gaps often occur in the
serial number ranges for the star notes; I do not currently have precise information
on the locations of these gaps.

The BEP's records indicate that the ending serial for the Series 1950D Richmond
stars should be E 108 00000 *, and that that for the Series 1950E New
York stars should be B 446 40000 *, but notes with higher serials
nevertheless exist in each case. The high serials in the table are guesses based on
the serials of observed notes. (Some references list B 447 41600 * as
the official high serial for the latter notes; this seems to be an error originating
in the old O'Donnell Handbook, where that high observed serial was incorrectly
labelled an official high.)

Similarly, every source I can find lists the high serials for the Series 1974
Cleveland and Richmond stars as D 070 40000 * and
E 070 40000 * respectively, but notes with higher serials are known.
Again, the high serials in the table are guesses based on the serials of the few notes
I've seen.

For information on star notes after Series 1974, see the page for each individual
series.

Obsolete type $10 notes

In addition to the Federal Reserve Notes, small-size $10 notes have been issued as
Silver Certificates, Gold Certificates, and National Bank Notes.

Silver Certificates and Gold Certificates: On these note types,
the first letter of the serial number had no particular significance, as they were not
issued directly by the Federal Reserve Banks. So once the A..A block was completed,
the next notes were printed in the B..A block, and so on. Each full block had serial
numbers from 00000001 to 99999999, with the hundred-millionth note replaced by a star
note. (Up until the middle of the 1934 series, the last note of each block was often
actually printed with the nine-digit number 100000000; this number had to be stamped
on the note by hand, because the automatic numbering machines could print only eight
digits.) Star notes had the star at the beginning of the serial number rather than
the end.

Prior to Series 1953, when notes of different series were in production
simultaneously, they would often be mixed together before the serial numbers were
overprinted. Therefore, it is not always possible to separate the serial numbers used
on one series from those used on the next.

The Series 1933A Silver Certificates were never issued into circulation; the first
Series 1934 notes, with different wording in the obligation, were printed while the
entire 1933A run was still in the Treasury's possession, and it was decided to issue
the newer version immediately rather than using the 1933A notes.

In the $10 Silver Certificates, the first serial number printed for Series 1934A
was A 091 32001 A; for Series 1934B, B 154 32001 A; for
Series 1934C, B 168 48001 A; and for Series 1934D,
B 385 56001 A. In each case, notes of older series continued to be
printed until all old printing plates had worn out, and whenever notes of different
series were in production simultaneously, they were mixed at random before serial
numbering.

National Bank Notes: These notes were issued by thousands of
private banks; but since a separate run of serial numbers was used for each issuing
bank, no attempt is made to list all serial number ranges here. The following table
shows only the $10 Federal Reserve Bank Notes, i.e., the Nationals issued by the
twelve FRBs. All are dated Series 1929. Serial numbering is as on Federal Reserve
Notes.

Federal Reserve Bank NotesSeries 1929

FRB

Regular Notes

Star Notes

A

A 000 00001 A A 016 80000 A

A 000 00001 *A 000 24000 *

B

B 000 00001 A B 055 56000 A

B 000 00001 *B 000 76000 *

C

C 000 00001 A C 014 16000 A

C 000 00001 *C 000 24000 *

D

D 000 00001 A D 024 12000 A

D 000 00001 *D 000 36000 *

E

E 000 00001 A E 013 56000 A

E 000 00001 *E 000 24000 *

F

F 000 00001 A F 010 56000 A

F 000 00001 *F 000 36000 *

G

G 000 00001 A G 031 56000 A

G 000 00001 *G 000 12000 *

H

H 000 00001 A H 015 84000 A

H 000 00001 *H 000 36000 *

I

I 000 00001 A I 005 88000 A

I 000 00001 *I 000 24000 *

J

J 000 00001 A J 012 84000 A

J 000 00001 *J 000 36000 *

K

K 000 00001 A K 005 04000 A

K 000 00001 *K 000 12000 *

L

L 000 00001 A L 010 80000 A

L 000 00001 *L 000 36000 *

Special issue $10 notes

Series 1934A North Africa issue

Wartime emergency issues: During World War II, some Series 1934
and 1934A Silver Certificates were printed with yellow, rather than blue, seals.
These notes were used to pay U.S. troops in North Africa and the Middle East, the idea
being that the specially printed notes could easily be identified and demonetised if a
large quantity fell into enemy hands. For similar reasons, some Series 1934A Federal
Reserve Notes were printed with brown, rather than green, seals and serial numbers;
these notes were used for general circulation in Hawaii, which it was feared might be
captured by Japan.

The following tables give the serial number ranges for these special printings of
$10 notes.

North Africa Notes(Yellow seal)

A 910 44001 A - B 009 04000 A

B 015 64001 A - B 135 64000 A

* 010 08001 A - * 012 84000 A

Hawaii Notes(Brown seal)

L 658 56001 A - L 664 56000 A

L 674 76001 A - L 690 76000 A

L 697 36001 A - L 713 36000 A

L 770 52001 A - L 771 72000 A

L 111 60001 B - L 126 64000 B

L 282 12001 B - L 297 12000 B

L 430 32001 B - L 455 32000 B

L 502 92001 B - L 512 92000 B

L 009 00001 * - L 009 96000 *

L 020 08001 * - L 020 12000 *

L 020 40001 * - L 020 48000 *

Experimental printing: While most of the BEP's
tests of new paper or printing techniques have been confined to the $1 notes, an exception occurred in 1981 with the Natick
paper test. In addition to several print runs of $1's, Series 1977A $10 notes with
serial numbers E 057 72001 * through E 064 00000 * were
printed on the experimental paper.